134 HYMENOPTERA. 



to myself, I should attribute the scarcity to a prevailing epi- 

 demic, but somewhat local in its visitation. Last year wasps 

 abounded at Bournemouth, I never observed more in a given 

 locality ; this was in the month of August, at the end of the 

 month they suddenly disappeared in a great measure ; their 

 nests were numerous, I therefore dug up several; the majority 

 contained combs of dead brood, some in such a state of putre- 

 faction, that larvae of SilphidcB were attracted, and were 

 feeding upon them ; this was, I imagine, just a case of foul- 

 brood amongst wasps; an infection well-known to bee- 

 keepers as most fatal in its results. 



During the present season, I have not found a single wasps- 

 nest, and have not seen more than twenty wasps, and it must 

 be borne in mind that I passed a whole month in a most 

 favourable locality in Hampshire, — the month of August, 

 when these insects usually appear in great numbers. I 

 noticed about half-a-dozen in North Devon, at Lynraouth, 

 in the month of October, on days so suitable, and in situa- 

 tions so favourable, that if a single member of the fraternity 

 existed in that county, I might have expected to find it 

 there. 



One of the most local wasps occurring in this country is 

 the Eumenes coaixtata ; this was found in considerable 

 numbers at Bournemouth, flying over, and occasionally 

 alighting upon the flowers of the heath ; many specimens 

 of the female were obtained by watching spots where the 

 soil was suitable for building their little globular nests, which 

 they usually attach to the twigs of the Heath. 



Apid^. 



Notwithstanding the two fine summers that we have en- 

 joyed in succession, many species continue to be extremely 

 scarce : species of AndrenidcGj that were formerly most abun- 



